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Blaze your own trail with a classic AATV: Fans of these amphibious vehicles keep them on and off the road

September 9, 2012

1 of 7A group of modern-day amphibious all-terrain vehicle (AATV) enthusiasts gather before hitting the trail.

Photo by Brandon Price/Route6x6.com

2 of 7The Gator, a Canadian AATV developed in the early 1960s, undergoes testing.

Photo by Route6x6.com

3 of 7A Popular Science article from 1971 shows the diversity of all-terrain vehicles on the market at the time.

Photo by Route6x6.com

4 of 7Period advertisements conveyed a sense of adventure. Note the articulated chassis on this four-wheeler.

Photo by Route6x6.com

5 of 7A vintage Argo advertisement shows the numerous accessories produced for AATVs. Argo is still in business today.

Photo by Route6x6.com

6 of 7At the height of their popularity, AATVs were raced competitively. Here, a 6x6 catches air in a local race.

Photo by Don Kinyon/Route6x6.com

7 of 7While dozens of companies rushed to produce AATVs during the 1960s, few were able to survive the 1973 fuel crisis and the arrival of cheap, reliable Honda ATVs.

Photo by Route6x6.com

They look like prop vehicles from a Cold War-era James Bond film and they can climb a sand dune as easily as they can cross a swamp. Once a common sight in America's back country, these odd vehicles are practically unknown today.

We're referring to the amphibious all-terrain vehicle, or AATV. Readers of a certain age may recall seeing them in action on magazine covers, or even remember having a bit of off-road fun in one. But, as popular as these multi-wheeled marvels were in past decades, they've been largely eclipsed by the modern 4x4 ATV.

Autoweek recently spoke to AATV enthusiast Richard Clark about these intriguing off-roaders and learned about their rise, decline and possible renaissance.

Clark is the proprietor of Richard's Relics, the largest source of new, used and reproduction parts for vintage AATVs. He's also the current operator of route6x6.com, an online storehouse of AATV knowledge and a gathering place for those interested in the vehicles. To figure out how hobbyists fit into the ongoing saga of the AATV, we first asked Clark to explain the history of the vehicles themselves.

The rise of the AATV…

Ask someone to picture an ATV and they'll most likely envision something resembling the small, nimble 4x4 vehicles now produced by Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Forty years ago, the same question would have returned descriptions of the bathtub-like 6x6 or 8x8 off-roaders produced by obscure companies such as Bazoo, Chaparral and Hustler.

Few now realize that AATVs were the all-terrain vehicles of their day. Their capability made them attractive to sportsmen, farmers and fun-seekers. At one point, there was even a racing series for 6x6 vehicles. A look at the multitude of magazine articles archived at route6x6.com shows just how widespread the interest in AATVs once was.

This popularity spawned an industry. Four, six, eight-wheeled and even treaded configurations were built and tested by ambitious inventors. Some had articulated chassis for greater maneuverability. Many featured boat-like hulls and aquatic drive systems that let drivers ford rivers and other small bodies of water.

At the peak of the AATV's popularity, as many as 65 manufacturers were building vehicles. According to Clark, most built less than 100 units before going under; many were little more than garage-based entrepreneurs. A few of the larger manufacturers, including Attex, Argo, Coot, Starcraft and Swamp Fox, were responsible for the bulk of AATV production.

...and its decline

While this period saw great innovation—an eight-wheel drive setup that can swim across a lake is nothing to scoff at, even today—the complex high-maintenance systems used on the vehicles and the wide variance in manufacturing quality earned them a reputation for unreliability.

Still, the one-two punch of the 1973 oil crisis and the introduction of the Honda three-wheeler was ultimately responsible for the decline of the AATV. Honda's small ATVs were inexpensive, efficient and reliable. While their three-wheeled options have since vanished from the market, they established a new standard and caused the majority of small AATV manufacturers to disappear.

Enthusiasts keep AATVs rolling

But the AATV never really died, even as its manufacturers went belly up. Enthusiasts simply picked up where the industry left off, collecting and maintaining the quirky vehicles. Richard's Relics, Clark's AATV business, grew out of his personal involvement with the machines. Thanks to a mechanically inclined father and an early career as a motorcycle racer, Clark knew his way around a garage.

When he saw what he described as “a little boat with wheels” for sale, his interest was permanently piqued. He bought the derelict AATV and tinkered with it until it ran well. Later, he purchased the back stock of vehicles and parts from a dealer in Kentucky. Such “new old” stock parts form the bulk of Clark's inventory, although newly manufactured components, including modern-engine kits, are also offered.

Of the 300,000 to 500,000 early AATVs produced by various manufacturers, Clark believes that many still survive in some form of repair. “People don't usually throw them away when they get tired of them,” he said, and the parts provided by Richard's Relics help get them back up and running.

The future of the AATV

Enthusiasts such as Richards may have kept the AATV flame alive until now, but the vehicles' impressive capability has rekindled interest among modern manufacturers. Certain aspects of the AATV's design may make it better suited to tough tasks in unforgiving environments than the now-ubiquitous 4x4s that have largely replaced it.

The boat-like hull is one feature that makes the vehicles viable today. In an AATV, operators “stay clean in the machine—and dry,” Richards says. That's a benefit to hunters, surveyors and prospectors who routinely cross varied terrain in inclement weather.

Further, conservationists appreciate the machines' small environmental footprint—more wheels overall mean that each wheel exerts less pressure on the ground.

Technological advances have also overcome many of the reliability concerns that haunted early AATVs. Argo has even developed unmanned, autonomous systems for its treaded 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles.

Thanks to enthusiasts such as Clark and new developments by manufacturers, the once-forgotten AATV seems to have a bright—if somewhat muddy, icy and sandy—future.

Graham Kozak
- Graham Kozak drove a 1951 Packard 200 sedan in high school because he wanted something that would be easy to find in a parking lot. He thinks all the things they're doing with fuel injection and seatbelts these days are pretty nifty too.
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